Railway-switch.



T. W. COX.

RAILWAY SWITCH.

APPLIOATION FILED PEB.4,1909.

. Patented July 20,1909.

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THOMAS W. COX, OF SPRINGFIELD, OHIO, ASSIGNORlOF ONE-HALF TO JACOB LIGHT ROI-1L,

OF SPRINGFIELD, OHIO.

RAILWAY-SWITCH.

Specification of Letters Iatent.

Patented July Iu, 1909.

Application filecfFebruary 4, 1909. Serial No. 176,125.

Improvements in ItailwaySwitehes, of which the following is a specification, reference being had therein to the accompanying drawings.

Ilus invention relates to railway switches, and more particularly to combination switches and crossings.

The object of the invention is to provideoperating mechanism for a switch of this character which vill prevent the switch points from binding when the switch thrown from one position. to another and will render the operation of the switch free and easy; and further, to provide such a mechanism which will be of a simple construction and not liable to be broken or to become disarranged. Q

With these objects in View my invention consists in certain novel features of construction and in certain combinations and arrangements of parts hereinafter to be de scribed, and then more particularly pointed out in the claims.

The accompanying drawing is a top plan View of a switch operating mechanism embodying my invention.

In this drawing I have illustrated one en1 bodimcnt of my invention and have shown the same as comprising the outer curved rails or stock rails 1 and 2 arranged on opposite sides of h rswitch and curved in o posite directions. Arranged immediately within each of the stock rails 1 and2 are the bentconnccting rails 3 and 4-, these railsbcing curved in the same'direetion as are the stock rails 1 and 2, and. being arranged a short distance therefrom and provided at their ends with switch points 5 and 5 and 6 and 6*, respectively. These switch points have their outer ends beveled, as shown, to fit snugly against the side of the adjacent portion of the stock rails 1 and 2 and connect the same with the conneetin rail 3. Straight connecting rails or track rails 7, 8, 9 and 10 lie within and adjacent to the bent c0nnecting rails 8 and 4. and are provided at their inner ends with switch points 11, '12, 13 a d 14, respectively, which points have th-m: inner ends tapered to lit snugly against the sides of the adjacent connectingrails 3 and 4t Lying within the straight rails 9 are curved connecting rails 15 and 16, which rails are curved in a direction op )osite the curvature of the adjacent stock rail and in the same direction the stock rail farthest removed therefrom is curved. The curved connecting rails 15 and 16 are provided at their outer ends with switch points 17, 18, 1,9 and 20 having their outer ends beveled to lit snugly against the adjacent sides of the straight rails 7, 8, 9 and 10, respectively.

The inner ends of the switch. points 11, 12, 1B and 14 are operatively connected to con necting bars 21 arid These bars connect the switch points inpairs, the bar 21 connecting the points 11 and 13 and the bar 22 connecting the points 12 and 14. means are provided for simultaneously actuating these bars in opposite directions so that, when the switch points 11 and 14 are in engagement with the respective connecting rails 3 and 4, the switch points 12 and 13 will be out of engagement therewith. means preferably comprises a T-shaped lever 23 having its cross bar 24: connected to the outer ends of the bars 21 and 22 which extend beyond the stock rail 1.. The outer end of the T-shapcd lever is connected, by means of a link 25, with a lever 26, the point of connection being removed from the pivotal center of the lever, whereby the movement of the lever about its pivotal center will rock the T-shaped lever alrout its pivotal center and move the bars 22 in opposite directions. The remaining switch points are shown in the drawing as in their central or neutral posi tion and suitable means are provided for actuatingthese points in such a direction as to close the switch to complete the track in either direction. \Vith the central switch points 11, 12, 13 and 14 in the position shown in the drawing, by moving the switch point 5 into engagement with the adjacent stock rail 1, movin the switch point 20 out of engagement witl the connecting rail 10, moving the switch point 17 out of engagement with the connecting. rail 7 and a so moving the switch point Qinto engagement with the adjacent stoclcrail 2, a continuous track will be formed throughthe switch comprising the stock rail 2-, switch point 6, connecting point 4, switch point 1 1 and straight connecting rail 10 on the one side and straight connecting rail 7, switch point 11, bent connecting rail 3, switch point 5 and stock rail Suitable This the operating mechanism. This binding renders the switch very ditlicult to operate,

and, in order to overcome the same, i have provided the mechanism herein shown and described. This mechanism preferably consists of connecting hars i? and 28 connec tmg the sw1tch points 5 and 20, and 6" and 18 respectively, at one endot the switch and the connecting rods 2t and 3%, connecting the switch points 5" and 19, and (3 and 17, re-

spectively, at the opposite end of the sw'tchf The connecting bars at each end oi the switch are preferably arranged close together so that the movement necessary to be imparted to the same to throw the switch points will be substantially the same. The two connecting bars at each end of the switch are connected to opposite ends of the "it-shaped lever 31 pivotally mounted upon a supporting base 32, shown at 33 and this connection may be made in any suitable manner. In the present instance the T-shaped lever 31 is removed but a short distance from the switch, and, owing to the close relation of the connecting bars I have found it desirable to provide each bar with a lug Zl i, to which is secured one end of a rod 35, which rods serve to connect the bars 27 Find 28, and 2t) and lit) to the opposite ends of their respective T- shaped levers 31. The length of the rods 3; or the other connection between the conncctin; bars and the T-sha'pcd lever is such that. when the switch points are in their central position, the cross bar 36 of the T-shapod lever will extend in a line substantially parallcl with the ttt jaccnt portion of the sto k rail 1.

A suitable actuating bar extends between the levers 31 and serves to ac! uato the same simu taneously. in the present instance this connecting bar is shown as compr sing a series of sections, one oi which sections, here shown at 37, is slidably mounted in guideways 38 secured to a base in and is pivotally connected at each end to one ol' tlieT-shapcd lovers 31 by links 3.) and ll), respectively. 'lhus,'tlic central portion oi the actuating bar arranged out ol alincmcnt with the ends thereof and a substantial curve is im- I i l l l l l l i I l l l l parted to the actui'iting bar, so that the same extends in a line substantially parallel with the blur of the stock rail 1. The construction of the bar is such as to POI'HUL of this curvature, and, at the same time, to permit i the free longitudinal movement of the bar in the guidcways Any suitable means may he provided for shifting the actuating bar to throw the switch points. This means is here shown as an operating lever 41 connected b a link 42 with a lug 43 carried by the central portion 37 of the actuating bar. The body portions of the T-shaped levers 31, are arranged at substantially right angles to the cross bars of those levers, and, as stated, the cross bars 36 of the T-shapcd levers and the actuating bar are both parallel with the adjacent stock rail 1 when the switch points are in their central position. Consequently therpull exerted by the actuating bar 40 upon the T-shaped levers 31 is a substantially straight pull and. the connections between the T-shaped levers and the switch points such as to move the switch points simultaneously into or out of engagement with their respective rails without causing any of said switch Points to bind or to come into on gagemcnt with its rail before the other switch points engage their rails.

Suitable locking means are provided for securing the actuating bar against moveme t and retaining the switch points in a fixed position. This means preferably consists of a pin 44 adapted to extend through an aperture -15 in the central member 37 of the actuating bar and to engage the corresponding aperture in a support 46 beneath said bar.

The operation ol the switch will be readily understood from the foregoing description and its advantages will be obvious, it being apparent. that the construction and arrangement ol" the operating mechanism is such as to el'l'ectually prevent all binding of the switch points during the throwing ol the same and to render the movement of the switch )oints free and easy.

l WlSll it to be understood that I do not de sire to be limited to the details of construction shown and described, for obvious modil'ications wi l occur to a person skilled in the art.

llaving tlius l'ully described my invention,

what l claim as new and desire to secure by licttcrs lalcnt, is:-

l. lna switch of the character described, the combination, with a curved stock rail, commcting rails, and switch points, of an actuating bar having its intermediate portion arranged out ol' aliucment with the ends thereof and extending substantially parallel with said curvcd stmzk rail, and means for oporatiw-ly connecting said switch points with said actuating bar.

2. in a switch of the charactiir described, the combination, with a curved stock rail, connecting rails, and switch points, of an actuating bar having its intermediate portion arranged out ol' alincmeut with the ends eaaeee thereof and extending substantially parallel with said curved stock rail, a lever operatively connected to said actuating bar and having a right angles to the body portion thereof and substantially parallel with said actuating bar, and bars for operatively connecting said switch points to the cross bar of said lever.

3. In a switch of the character described, the combination, with a curved stock rail, connecting rails, and switch points, of bars connecting said switch points in pairs, "5'- shaped levers having their cross bars connected to the respective connecting bars, and

an actuating bar connected to said T-shaped levers and having its intermediate portion arranged out of alineinent with the ends thereof, said actuating bar and said T-shaped levers being so arranged that, when said switch points are in a central position, said connecting rails, curved stock rail, actuating bar and cross bars of the T-sha ed levers will extend in substantially paralle lines.

' 4. In a switch of thecharacter described, the combination, with a curved stock rail, connecting rails, and switch points, of bars connecting said switch points in pairs, an ac tuating bar having its intermediate portion arranged out of alinement with the ends thereof and extending substantially parallel with said curved stock rail, means for operativcly connecting said connecting bars to said actuating bar, and means for locking said actuating bar against movement.

5. In a switch of the character described, the combination, with a curved stock rail, connecting rails, and switch points, of bars connecting said switch points in pairs, a sec tional actuating bar having its central portion arranged out of alineinent with the ends thereof'and extending substantially parallel with said curved stock rail, means for operatively connecting said connecting bars to cross bar arranged at substantiallysaid actuating bar, means for slidably sup porting one of the sections oi said actuating ar, and means for imparting movement to said actuating bar.

6. in a switch of the character the combination, with stock rails, two pairs of curved connecting rails arranged between said stock rails, track rails, connecting the ends of one pair oisaid connecting rails with the respective stock rails, other switch points for connectim the ends of the other pair of connecting rails with the respective track rails, and means for simultaneously actuating all of said switch oints, of switch points for connecting sai rails with one pair of said connecting rails, and means for simultaneously actuating all of the last-mentioned switch points.

7. In a switch of the character described, the combination with curved stock rails, two pairs of curved connecting rails arranged between said stock rails, track rails, switch points for connecting the ends of one pair of connecting rails with the respective stock rails, other switch points for connecting the ends of the other ,pairof connecting rails with the respective track rails, an actuating bar having its intermediate portion arranged out of 'alinement with the ends thereof and extending substantially parallel with one of said curved stock rails, and means for con necting said actuating bar to said switch oints, of switch points for connecting said track rails with one pair of said connecting rails, and means for simultaneously actuatin all of the last-naentioned switch points n testimony whereof, I my signature in presence of two witnesses.

THOMAS w. cox.

Witnesses:

A. C. Linn, EDWARD L. REED.

described,

switch points for track 

